Just going by how teams from the area (Kokomo, Tipton, Carroll (Flora), Peru) made it to Regionals and there could have been teams from this part of the state in 3 of the 4 state championship games last year (Had Carroll (Flora) beat Central Noble and Kokomo beaten Chesterton in the Semi State Championship games, in addition to Lafayette Central Catholic). Carroll and Kokomo have the best chances of repeating their success from last year. Tipton has the best backcourt in the area (maybe even northern Indiana) with Nolan Swan and Grady Carpenter back from a team that barely lost to an undefeated at the time and #1 in 2A team Monroe Central in Regionals and could go far in this year's tournament. Peru has has their main players back (from a team that was 1 of only 2) that held held Flory Bidunga to single digits in points AND rebounds in a game last season and lost to Culver Academies in Regionals. Throw in Oak Hill having Landon Biegel (averaging 23 points and 9 rebounds so far this year) and everyone else back from last year's 18-6 team, a Clinton Prairie team that finished 20-5 and was in the 2A Top 10 most of last season (and has a Peckinpaugh as head coach, probably related to Kokomo's HC), and now Taylor apparently has a rising star Freshman guard named Baris Moore (averaging 18 points and 2 steals per game) that will be worth watching going forward. I would say this is the most talent this part of the state has had in it at the same time since when I played in high school (1998-02) when there were multiple D-1 athletes there. At that time there was:
-Austin Parkinson (Purdue PG) at Northwestern (my school)
-Brandon Jones (Purdue RB) at Peru HS
-Mike Otto (Purdue and Tennessee Titans OL) at Maconaquah
-Josh Grant (Winthrop F) at Taylor
-Drew Connor (IUPUI G) at Taylor
-Austin Parkinson (Purdue PG) at Northwestern (my school)
-Brandon Jones (Purdue RB) at Peru HS
-Mike Otto (Purdue and Tennessee Titans OL) at Maconaquah
-Josh Grant (Winthrop F) at Taylor
-Drew Connor (IUPUI G) at Taylor
